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American Dreamz (2006) Universal Pictures 1 hr. 45 mins. Starring: Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, Willem Dafoe, Sam Golzari, Chris Klein, Jennifer Coolidge, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Tony Yalda Directed by: Paul Weitz This film is rated: PG-13 American Dreamz Rating:  
E-MAIL FRANK OCHIENG As a country, America has long been accused of being a self-absorbed nation that has a short attention span. Furthermore, Americans are notoriously consumed with celebrity and pop cultural platitudes yet the average clueless person couldn’t even tell you what the branches of the U.S. government are or reasonably identify Australia on the world map. In writer-director Paul Weitz’s broad yet unfocused satire American Dreamz, he wants to combine the American preoccupation with fast food entertainment and the cynicism (or lack of interest) in the sluggish political system. Weitz, responsible for a variety of comedies ranging from the teen sex romp American Pie series to the corporate cut-up In Good Company, taps into the pulse by mining the current climate of our media frenzy sensibilities. With the immense popularity of the number one television program in the land American Idol coupled with the growing impatience of the Bush administration and the behind-the-scenes shenanigans with fickle polling results, American Dreamz looks to package these unlikely bedfellows as wacky co-conspirators in the name of scatterbrained sociopolitical lampooning. Instinctively, American Dreamz tries so gallantly to be irreverent in its ode to balancing popcorn-pleasing show business with the daily scrutiny of pressure-packed politicizing. Unfortunately, the off-the-cuff slaphappy material feels too stretched out and relentlessly spotty to emphasize any pinpoint intellectual political humor. The trouble with Weitz’s ridiculing finger-pointing farce is that its obvious targets—namely Fox-TV’s boob tube sensation American Idol and George “Dubya” Bush—aren’t really challenging enough to stick its wayward tongue at. What late night sketch program or political talk show hasn’t poked continuous fun out of what American Dreamz does with its feisty yet feeble attempts at cheap ribbing? The intent to fan the flames at easy whipping posts such as stardom-seeking wannabes and a troubled terrorist-searching Bush and his plagued cabinet just doesn’t contain the robust makings of a stinging observation. American Dreamz has its off-kilter moments and the concept is worthy of its ludicrous ramblings. But Weitz’s outlandish speculation fails to paint an outrageous portrait that’s not nearly as potent as it ought to be in its so-called off-base boundaries. Buffoon-ridden American President Stanton (Dennis Quaid, Weitz’s leading man from the aforementioned In Good Company) is suffering as his presidency has taken a severe knock in the polls. Consequently, Stanton needs a definite boost in his lackluster ratings. Enter American Dreams, an American Idol-esque hit reality show that has captured the imagination of the country. In order to regain his confidence and overcome his bid with depression, Stanton decides to become a judge on American Dreamz to revisit his cache as a Commander-in-Chief with prominence. In the meanwhile, we’re introduced to sleazy American Dreamz producer/host Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant). Tweed (no doubt a thinly disguised inspiration for Idol’s acerbic-mouthed breakout star Simon Cowell) is an opportunistic showman who’ll do anything promote his high-rated enterprise where hopefuls go to fish out fame and fortune. Among the contestants that want part of American Dreamz’s star-making allure is cutie pie country girl Sally Kendoo (played by singer-actress Mandy Moore). Hollywood-bound Iraqi native Omer (Sam Golzari), whose appreciation for Broadway show tunes is quite apparent, is recruited by his effeminate cousin Iqbal Riza (Tony Yalda) to appear on American Dreamz. Naturally, Tweed welcomes the Muslim music man to participate on his show because this controversial turn will draw more attention, especially with President Stanton front and center for the cameras to witness. What Tweed or anyone else doesn’t realize is that Omer is a terrorist sent to observe the enemy and strike a chord while singing gleefully for his entertainment-hungry foes. In the topsy-turvy world of American Dreamz, Weitz yearns to dissect the expectations of spectators willing to sell their tattered souls for fleeting fame. He wryly hints that even the big-time movers and shakers in Washington D.C. are a second fiddle to the public opinion of masses that intuitively know more about the likes of Paula Abdul than they do Paul Revere or Kelly Clarkson more so than Lewis and Clark. Shrewdly, Weitz questions our misguided priorities and showcases the insanity surrounding the quick scheming means to escape being “a nobody” only to transfer into the comforts of being considered an instant household name. Weitz has the right idea to flirt with our craving for vapid manufactured star-making while taking a hearty potshot at the “politics-as-usual” indifference. Sadly, American Dreamz never really gets under the infectious skin of the roving topical tidbits it wants to devilishly skewer. For ardent fans of American Idol and protestors disenchanted by Bush and his perceived haphazard handlers in the wake of the lingering Iraq war-on-terrorism mode, American Dreamz may seem like a wickedly delightful scream. And again, it does have its ability to kick us in the occasional funnybone. But for the most part, Weitz’s narrative is more unevenly cockeyed than it is spiritedly contentious about its satirical punches. In many ways American Dreamz plays it very safe as its mockery doesn’t possess the biting edginess of a Simon Cowell quip on an Idol episode. Speaking of the maligned Cowell, Grant’s on-spot mimicry of the jabbering judge is perversely riotous. As Martin Tweed, Grant flexes his snide and snarling antics with the precision of a fine-tuned violin playing harmoniously. Other than Grant’s insufferable Tweed engaging in his carefree cockiness, there’s not much meat on the lyrical bone for American Dreamz to serve up with consistent zesty aplomb. The casting is top notch and everybody seems in on the wink-wink aspect of Weitz’s extended joke. Quaid’s presidential prototype of a fictional doltish Bush is played for aimless chuckles. Moore’s Sally is both ambitious and calculating in her proposed Midwestern innocence. And the parade of loony contestants that march on stage and deliver the dumb-down goods gets rather old in its novelty act after a while. The supporting contributions of Willem Dafoe as Vice President Sutter is inspired in his wooden presence as mirrored by his real-life counterpart Dick Cheney. As for the Middle Eastern misfit tandem of Golzari’s Omer and Yalda’s Iqbal, they provide the over-the-top sidetrack political mischief that works effectively for the few legitimate nervous laughs that circulate. Chris Klein’s patriotic soldier boy William Williams—a sweetie of Moore’s Sally—shows up to offer his hand in marriage to her on the show only to put a kink in the twisted agenda for Omer to eradicate sitting duck President Stanton. Clearly, Weitz has helmed better vehicles that carry more clout in terms of their demented fiber. American Dreamz is intermittent in its goofy charm and could have been startling in the arena of politics, pop music and populist programming. Slight in its sarcastic overtones, Dreamz may have penetrated the psyche had it bothered to thoroughly investigate its comprehensive nightmarish hilarity. Click here to comment on this review or post your own thoughts. Frank Ochieng © TheWorldJournal.com |
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